Why Do Juveniles Need To Be Illegal Essay

490 Words2 Pages

It should be illegal for juveniles to receive life sentences.
Life sentences, without parole, for juveniles is cruel and unusual punishment. Adolescents should be able to obtain life sentences, which include parole. Penalizing juveniles with life imprisonment should be prohibited as they do not have an entirely developed encephalon. “The rational part of a teen's brain isn't fully developed and won't be until age 25” (“Understanding the Teen Brain”). Teens are often presented with peer pressure, often causing them to make rash decisions. “A 14-year-old boy in the presence of his peers will often do foolish and dangerous things” (Steinberg). Furthermore, if the juvenile offender in not remorseful directly after the act of the crime, they may become remorseful later in their life. “As they grow older, young people …show more content…

Teens are thoughtless and often make mistakes, which they need to learn from. When juveniles learn from their mistakes frequently, they will not make them again. Sentencing adolescents to life in a penitentiary should be illegal across the nation. Some may say that people who commit serious crimes will not repent and don’t deserve a second chance. But contrary to that, many people who commit major felonies are later remorseful for their offence. After spending time to think about their crimes some people may even try their best to become a better person “The first indication of that came months after we began writing, when he refused our offer to give him a small amount of money to purchase art supplies. ‘I could never accept a gift of money,’ he wrote back. ‘I would never want you to think I was taking advantage of your kindness” (Stanford).